CAG Posted August 22, 2013 #1 Share Posted August 22, 2013 As has been expected, I received notice today that in an abundance of caution, Oceania has made the decision to cancel their upcoming calls into Egypt for 2013 and 2014. I am booked on the Barcelona to Dubai trip on November 14th that was to originally stop overnight in Safaga (for Luxor), Egypt. Thank you Oceania for making this timely decision. I think most of us saw it coming. Cenia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruppert18 Posted August 22, 2013 #2 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Agreed. We are on March 31 Bangkok to Rome that was to overnight in Safaga also. Good news for us we will now overnight in Petra. Thanks to Oceania for deciding this far out!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted August 22, 2013 #3 Share Posted August 22, 2013 How were you notified, Cenia, ruppert18? Presumably from her Travel Agent (we use the same one). There was a mailing to the Agents this morning giving them a heads up that their clients would be notified starting this afternoon. A classy operation :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKS Posted August 22, 2013 #4 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Yes, my TA forwarded Oceania's notice a little while ago. My heart breaks for the people of Egypt. This financial burden on their tourist industry makes their lives harder than it already was, but I certainly understand Oceania's need to protect its interests and its passengers first. I pray for the people of Egypt, that out of their current strife will come a better life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAG Posted August 22, 2013 Author #5 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Presumably from her Travel Agent (we use the same one).There was a mailing to the Agents this morning giving them a heads up that their clients would be notified starting this afternoon. A classy operation :) Jim is correct, it came from my travel agent who always has our best interest at heart and keeps us up to date all the time!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg1 Posted August 22, 2013 #6 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Well said TKS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twocoasts Posted August 22, 2013 #7 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Did they say what ports they might use instead? I am about to book the Istanbul to Athens departing June 10 and it has Egypt on the itinerary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted August 23, 2013 #8 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Did they say what ports they might use instead? I am about to book the Istanbul to Athens departing June 10 and it has Egypt on the itinerary. This is the revised itinerary for the June 10 cruise: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twocoasts Posted August 23, 2013 #9 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Thank you so much! Looks great to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jpalbny Posted August 23, 2013 #10 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Yes, my TA forwarded Oceania's notice a little while ago. My heart breaks for the people of Egypt. This financial burden on their tourist industry makes their lives harder than it already was, but I certainly understand Oceania's need to protect its interests and its passengers first. I pray for the people of Egypt, that out of their current strife will come a better life. +2, well put. It is such a shame that tourism, and those who make a living in tourism, will suffer so much from this. Egypt has a glorious culture and the sights (and sites) are incredible to experience first-hand. Hope that the anarchy doesn't destroy the tourist sites and infrastructure... When we were there last fall, everyone we met thanked us for coming, and begged us to tell our contemporaries to please visit. Sad that we can't do so now. In the two weeks we were there, the only person who wasn't happy to see us was one felluca pilot in Luxor, who called us "rubbish tourists" after we didn't respond to his sales pitch. "Rubbish tourists" became a term of endearment among our group after that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Knitter Posted August 23, 2013 #11 Share Posted August 23, 2013 This is the revised itinerary for the June 10 cruise: We are on that sailing and glad Egypt is not on the map. We decided to spend a few days in Jerusalem before embarkation in Istanbul in the event Haifa is cancelled for some reason. Israel the reason we are going. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetocruise16 Posted August 23, 2013 #12 Share Posted August 23, 2013 We, too, are booked on the Bangkok to Rome Nautica cruise and are grateful to Oceania and our terrific agent for informing us quickly of this significant but not unexpected schedule change. We are going to use the second day in Aqaba for some diving/snorkeling instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted August 23, 2013 #13 Share Posted August 23, 2013 We are not on any of the affected cruises, but OTOH we weren't surprised to get the notice. (For some reason Oceania has decided that we are travel agents and so we get these notices. And so to people who asked earlier about the replacement ports, our notice just said "no Egypt" between November 2013 and November 2014.) Thanks Jim for filling in info! If I were on that cruise that replaces the Egyptian port with three days in Jerusalem/Haifa I would be over the moon. We spent two weeks in Israel in November 2006 for one of the best trips of our lives. My husband's cousin is a licensed tour guide and she personally took us throughout the country. It was usually the three of us and tour buses at any spot. So in general when I see the limited time a cruise gives you in Israel, I feel disappointed on your behalf. But three days there as opposed to overnight is far different! And Jerusalem is so spectacular. Don't miss the Tunnel Caves if you have the opportunity to see them. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gvidaho Posted August 23, 2013 #14 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I believe the Riviera itinerary will go to Patmos the day following Haifa, then have the day at sea on its final day. I'm going on the Insignia June 10th, of which the final days are the opposite. Great choice, in my opinion, especially in keeping with the Historic Holy Lands theme. Our group is pleased with this decision by Oceania too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.